SAMOAN CIVIL SERVICE

Taranaki Daily News, 26 July 1929, Page 8

SAMOAN CIVIL SERVICE

PUBLICITY GIVEN REPORT.

By Telegraph.—Press Association.

Wellington, Last Night.

Sir Francis Bell asked in the Legislative Council to-day if the Leader of the Council would lay on the table the commission to Messrs. Verschaffeldt and others to inquire into and report upon the .Samoan Civil Service, also the commissioners’ report. The Hon. T. K. Sidey replied that Mr. Verschaffeldt and his colleagues were sent to the territory on the instructions of the late Prime Minister, not as a Government Commission but as a departmental committee of inquiry. No set order of reference was issued to them, but their instructions required them to investigate and report on any aspect of the finances and staff of the territory that appeared to them to call for investigation. The Government had decided not to publish the report in full, but immediately on its receipt very lengthy extracts were handed to the Press, after the elimination of small portions consisting almost entirely of personal references which the Government considered unsuitable for publication. In view of the wide publicity given those extracts at the time it was not considered that the expense of printing would be warranted, but a printed copy of the published extracts would be laid on the table.

The Captive Birds Shooting Prohibition Bill was introduced and read a first time.